365 Days of Blessings - Day 112

365 Days of Blessings, Day 112

1. The Lord gifts us with family and laughter. I love unwrapping those gifts!

2. My husband gifted me with a two day trip to Shakespeare-Land theme town aka Ashland, OR.

3. My daughters, although only recently introduced to Shakespeare, were excited to come on this trip.

4. My mom and dad decided to come too, and in fact came earlier.

5. We had a long car ride of conversation, home-school reading and discussion, some reading aloud, some music listening, and only three breaks . . . all in all, a good trip.

6. We arrived in time to have a quick dinner, change clothes, find parking and pick up our tickets at will call.

7. The excited atmoshpere of theatre goers in the square, preparing to go into three different theatres . . . ours being the outside venue.

8. The rain showers passed before the play started, we were slightly undercover from an overhang, and the only problem from the wetness occurred when an actor, in the midst of a happy jig, leaped onto a platform, slipped, fell, and recovered quickly. Even though his character was the focus of some of Shakespeare's slapstick humor, we all knew that fall wasn't planned. The audience groaned in sympathy, the other actor on stage paused in concern . . . and then the play went on.

9. The amazing, talent and skill of the actors who perform at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. If you want to see Shakespeare's plays done well, this is the place to come. Our favorite players of the night played the parts of Olivia, Viola, the Fool, Malvolio, Sebastian, and Mary. All of the actors were excellent, but as we reviewed the play's scenes in our hotel room, the actors that played those parts stood out in our minds.

10. Malvolio's first attempt at a smile made all of us laugh, and laugh, and laugh. I am so thankful for laughter. Some of Shakespeare's humor isn't my kind of humor, and some of it is . . . very much so.

11. My oldest daughter liked the play, and my youngest daughter only liked parts of it. I am just thankful that I get to introduce them to Shakespeare here at this festival like I was introduced at the age of 10 with Henry IV, part one. I didn't like all of that play at that age either, but Falstaff made me laugh, and the theatre itself is amazing.

Scripture Blessings:
Psalm 126:2
Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."